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Investors pulled money out of municipal bond funds in March, as widespread uncertainty around President Trump’s policies mixed with concerns that the securities funding most of the country’s infrastructure could lose their tax-exempt status. Borrowing costs for local governments are now ticking higher as municipal bond supply increases while demand weakens, making it more expensive for local governments to finance public works. Source: WSJ.com: Markets

A decade ago, backyard chickens were more a niche for part-time farmers and urban hipsters. But the Covid-19 pandemic—and more recently, a spike in egg prices—has sent Americans flocking for their own poultry. There were 11 million households with backyard chickens in 2024, up from 5.8 million in 2018, according to the American Pet Products Association. Even U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently jumped in, saying she wants to help Americans save money by making it easier to raise their own egg-layers. Source: WSJ.com: Lifestyle

The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced the launch of a new round of Rural Mural funding to support the creation of projects in rural Kansas communities. The total amount of funding available is $125,000. “Public art is a powerful tool for rural revitalization and bringing vitality and prosperity to all regions of our state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The Kelly-Toland administration fully supports investments that improve the attractiveness of our smaller communities, engage residents and visitors alike, and help stimulate the local economy.”  The funding initiative from the Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) aims to activate vacant [...]

Wichita City Council members talked Tuesday about how to move forward with issuing proclamations, finding some common ground but disagreeing about whether proclamations should be sponsored. The conversation came after Wichita Mayor Lily Wu did not sign or read a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility at a meeting last month, which prompted several ethics complaints. Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

The Emporia City Commission approved Ordinance 25-05 on February 12, 2025, officially establishing a Common Consumption Area (CCA) in the downtown district. This ordinance creates a designated outdoor area where individuals may enjoy alcoholic beverages purchased from participating vendors. The CCA is set to open on April 4, 2025, following the City’s application submission to the Director of Kansas ABC and the completion of painted sidewalk signage marking its boundaries. Vertical signage will be installed after the opening. Source: www.emporiagazette.com - RSS Results in news,government/*

A total of 31.6 percent of real estate in Jackson County was tax exempt last year, which was the third highest percentage among the 100 counties reporting in the state, according to a recent report shared by the Kansas Association of Counties. Sean Robertson, Saline County appraiser, compiled the report which notes that nearly $43 billion worth of appraised real estate values were exempt from paying taxes in Kansas last year. According to the report, a total of $427,451,940 in appraised values were exempt in Jackson County last year. This number represents the value of the property and not the amount [...]

Overland Park will soon end a special sales tax incentive at Oak Park Mall ahead of schedule, making it just a little bit cheaper to shop there. Back in 2007, Overland Park approved a 0.5% Transportation Development District (TDD) special sales tax at the mall to help pay for transportation-oriented improvements and some redevelopment at the mall site. Later, the city issued $16.2 million in revenue bonds tied to the TDD that would need to be paid back by April 1, 2032. In 2022, the city added $3.8 million more in refund bonds, with an expected payback date of 2032. Source: [...]

Voters in the Gardner Edgerton School District approved a $100 million bond measure in a special mail-in election Tuesday that will fund the construction of a new elementary school and renovations to other district facilities. According to the Johnson County Election Office, unofficial final results show the bond passed with nearly 60% of voters supporting it. Overall, 2,236 votes were cast for the bond measure, with 1,581 against. Turnout following Tuesday’s count was about 20%. Source: Johnson County Post

City and county staff are set to begin looking into ways to potentially “streamline” the zoning process for city developments beyond the city limits. That was a major talking point for both city and county commissioners when they convened for their latest joint session Wednesday afternoon. Following roughly 30 minutes of conversation, commissioners gave direction for City Zoning Administrator Justin Givens and County Zoning and Floodplain Manager Sam Seeley to meet with city and county legal counsel to begin developing recommendations for a process or board that could help oversee the matter. Source: d2430

Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday signed seven more bills, bringing to 29 the number of pieces of legislation that she has signed into law this year. So far, she has vetoed four bills, including two on Monday. She has been overridden twice so far, with the Legislature scheduled to return April 10 for more veto override votes. She has allowed three bills to become law without her signature. Source: Sunflower State Journal